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Slovakia - Justice and Home Affairs

Short-term priorities

  • improving the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration;
  • ratifying the Council of Europe convention on money laundering, the Council of Europe criminal law convention on corruption and the OECD convention on combating bribery;
  • aligning the criminal code on the acquis in the areas of the fight against organised crime and fraud;
  • improving legislation on asylum and setting up an independent body;
  • strengthening the capacity to fight money laundering.

Assessment (November 2000)

Progress had been made in the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration and in legislation on asylum. All the international conventions on the list of priorities had been ratified, with the exception of the Council of Europe convention on money laundering. The capacity for fighting money laundering had not been strengthened.

Assessment (November 2001)

Some progress has been made in the fight against organised crime and illegal immigration. Slovakia has also ratified the Council of Europe convention on money laundering. However, the Penal Code has not yet been amended and asylum arrangements need to be improved. The priorities have therefore been only partially achieved.

Assessment (October 2002)

Slovakia must continue efforts to strengthen its border control capacity in order to combat illegal immigration. A national unit to crack down on illegal immigration was set up in April 2002. The new Asylum Act, adopted in June 2002, provides for the establishment of an independent review authority as the second instance in an asylum procedure.

In the field of police cooperation and the fight against organised crime, Slovakia has continued to make encouraging progress in aligning its legislation, with the adoption of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure. However, continued efforts need to be made to combat organised crime, including trafficking in human beings and drug trafficking.

Slovakia has also built up its capacity to deal with money laundering and is concentrating on compliance with the recommendations of the financial action task force. Work is under way on strengthening the Financial Intelligence Department, as provided for in the Action Plan.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Medium-term priorities

  • continuing to establish and strengthen institutions in the field of justice and home affairs (particularly with a view to empowering the police and ensuring the independence of the judiciary);
  • continuing the development of an effective border management system;
  • fighting organised crime and corruption;
  • aligning visa policy on that of the EU and completing the process of alignment on the provisions of international conventions;
  • improving capacity for dealing with asylum and immigration issues, with a view in particular to applying the Schengen acquis.

Assessment (October 1999)

No progress had been made in this area.

Assessment (November 2000)

No progress had been made in this area.

Assessment (November 2001)

The Commission notes that limited progress has been made in modernising the legal system and external border controls. Trafficking in women and children, drugs trafficking and corruption are still very serious problems at present. Slovakia has therefore fulfilled this priority only in part.

Assessment (October 2002)

Slovakia has made good progress in aligning its visa policy with that of the EU, in particular with the adoption of the new law on the stay of foreigners, which entered into force in April 2002. A Central Visa Office has been operational since February 2002.

The department for combating trafficking in human beings and the Organised Crime Bureau of the Presidium of the National Police Force are now up and running. The police departments responsible for combating organised crime still need be to strengthened by the addition of new staff.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

REFERENCES

Decision 98/262/EC of 30.03.1998Official Journal L 121 of 23.04.1998

Decision 1999/853/EC of 6.12.1999Official Journal L 335 of 28.12.1999

Commission opinion COM(97) 2004 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission report COM(98) 703 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission report COM(1999) 511 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission report COM(2000) 711 finalNot published in the Official Journal

Commission report COM(2001) 700 final - SEC(2001) 1754Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2002) 700 final - SEC(2002) 1410Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2003) 675 final - SEC(2003) 1209Not published in the Official Journal

Treaty of Accession to the European Union [Official Journal L 236, 23.09.2003]

Last updated: 19.11.2004

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